Musical instrument.



No. 819,487. PATENTED MAY 1, 1906v A. A. WILLIAMS.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. a. 1905.

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No. 819,487. PATENTED MAY 1, 1906.

A. A. WILLIAMS.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APILIOATION FILED 81513128, 1905.

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AMANDA A. WILLIAMS, OF FLORENCE, TEXAS.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1906.

Application filed September 8, 1905. Serial No. 277,533.

To all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, AMANDA A. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Florence, in the county of Williamson, State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to musical instruments, and more particularly to that class of stringed instruments which are designed to be picked, the object of the invention being to provide an instrument having a eculiarly sweet tone and which may be easi y played.

A further object of the invention is to provide an instrument which may be manufactured at a low cost, other objects and advantages of the invention being evident from the following description.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an instrument embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the instrument. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken longitudinally through the instrument. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the keyboard. Fi Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the. tail piece of the instrument.

Referring now to the drawings, the present musical instrument comprises a hollow body portion including two sides of similar sha e and indicated at 10 and 11, each of these sic es consisting of a central body portion having at its ends the upwardly-curved arc-shaped longitudinal extensions 12. The sides 10 and 11 are disposed parallel and in spaced relation and are disposed upon the upper face of a bottom board comprisin a central flat portion 13 and the upward -curved arc shaped longitudinal extensions 14, which latter fit in the curvatures of the lower edges of the portions 12 of the sides, while the cen tral portion 13 corresponds in length to the central or body portions of the sides.

A top board is provided comprising a central portion 15, corresponding to the portion 13, and which fits between the sides 10 and 11 and flush with the upper edges of the central or body portions of the latter. At the ends of the body portion 15 are the upwardly-curved arc-shaped longitudinal extensions 16, which rest with their extremities against the portion 14.

A tailpiece is provided and consists of a plate 17, a portion ofwhich is fitted between the members 12 at one end of the instrument, the plate 17 having lugs 18 at its ends, whlch en age the edges of the said portions 12 and hoId the plate from being drawn between the portions 12. The plate 17 has a plurality of lugs 19, each having a perforation 20,through which is passed a string 21, which is knotted at its end to prevent its withdrawal.

At the opposite end of the instrument from the plate 17 the portion 14 of the bottom board is provided with terminal rings 22 for engagement by hooks 23, carried at one edge of a plate 24, forming a keyboard and having rotatably engaged therein a plurality of keys 25, to which are attached the ends of the corresponding strings of the instrument. By rotating these keys the instrument is tuned in the usual manner, and opposite to each key is marked the name of the tone given by the corresponding string, as illustrated.

A sounding-post 27 is disposed between' the top and bottom of the instrument, as illustrated, and in the central portion of the top are sound-openings 28.

It will be understood that in practice modifications of the specific construction shown may be made and any suitable materials and proportions may be used for the various parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is A musical instrument comprising a hollow body having its end portions curved upwardly in arc shape above the central portion, the sides of said end portion extending above the top of the body, a tailpiece lying partly between the sides of an end portion and having terminal lugs engaging against the edges of the sides, said edge of the sides having means for holding the lugs in place thereagainst a keyboard secured between the sides at the opposite end of the body and provided with 'tuningkeys, and strings connected between the tailpiece and the tuningkeys.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AMANDA A. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

W. P. WALES, T. E. HAYDEN. 

